


win the gold, girl

by miistical



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, Fencing, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I made Kagami's mom nice bc I'm the author and also suck it, Injury, Just two girlfriends in love but also they're real stupid, Kagami is too stubborn, Marinette loves her girlfriend sm, No hero related shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-23 23:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21089474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miistical/pseuds/miistical
Summary: Kagami is used to being the more stable one in her relationship with Marinette. After all, Mari was far more likely to twist her ankle stepping on nothing than Kagami was to get a bruise during fencing.That was true until an injury caught her mid-competition.





	win the gold, girl

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for wombatking on tumblr! I present to you two lesbians. Follow me on tumblr @ miistical for writing stuff and more gays!!

_Breathe in. Breathe out._  
  
_Feet planted, hands steady, chin up. Don't lose focus._  
  
Kagami had been dancing around her opponent for too long. She knew it was foolish to ever underestimate another fencer, yet it seemed she fell for their trick all too easily - they had already managed to get under her guard twice.  
  
She shuffled backwards, body twisting out of the way of a vicious jab. Kagami's eyes narrowed, searching for any weakness.  
  
Too close, too close. She refused to let it happen again.  
  
The steady creak of her ribs kept Kagami on tempo. Every harsh breath was loud in her ears, distracting her from her fight. Each thread of her body threatened to unravel—with every twist of her wrist, slide of a foot, Kagami danced and danced and danced, unwilling to lose her sharp focus.   
  
_Breathe in. Parry. Tighten her grip. Lunge._  
  
_Don't hesitate, shuffle back, dodge. Breathe out. Block!_  
  
Kagami's mouth thinned out behind her visor, eyes flickering along her opponent's form. They circled around and around, back and forth, arms slicing at each other at the slightest sign of victory. Each fencer lunged, their swords soaring through the air—and Kagami nearly yelled in triumph. Her foot landed hard as she leaped further than her body was ready for.  
  
She felt the strain the same moment her hit landed and the applause of the crowd swallowed her hiss easily. If it were any other match, anything less important than a semifinal, then perhaps Kagami wouldn't have just let her weight rock back upon a throbbing ache.  
  
Had it been any other match she would have been in the clear.  
  
Kagami and the girl, name floating away from her, shook hands. The other even said something, but the words were lost among all the chatter and the ever present ache in her chest, her hands, her feet. All she could manage was a nod, a quick smile, and a bow.  
  
She was able to mask her limp all the way back to the designated waiting area. Kagami hissed again as she leaned against the wall outside of the locker room, trying to breathe straight through the pain.  
  
A quick turn of her head and a flash of black and red lit up the corner of her eye. Any other match, she mused, and she'd be able to slip out quietly.  
  
"Kagami! Oh my gosh, you were so cool!" Marinette's smile was infectious. Kagami took a single step toward her and nearly buckled, the weight of her body too much for her ankle to carry.  
  
Marinette threw herself forward (_'always so fast,'_ Kagami quietly thought, _'always so strong'_) and Kagami let herself go just a tiny bit limp. Kagami curled her hands around Marinette's biceps, the muscles there hard and unyielding beneath a handmade pink sweater. The soft wool tempted Kagami into leaning against Marinette, but she steeled herself in time - not that her slip was missed by her girlfriend's keen eyes. That one moment was enough.   
  
Marinette's smile had vanished in the time Kagami took to look back up. Her forehead creased, eyebrows pulled together, and her eyes went wide and shiny. Kagami braced herself.  
  
"Kagami," Marinette paused, her grip on Kagami's shoulders growing tighter, "what happened?"  
  
The fencer never quite figured out how Marinette just _knew_. Anytime she felt off or odd, Marinette was there with a soft touch and softer smile, willing to lift the world for her should she ask.  
  
_'She could do it,'_ whispered in the back of Kagami's mind. _'She could be a superhero if she ever got powers like that.'_  
  
Kagami shook her head. She quirked a smile for Marinette and leaned back. Marinette just followed, her hands never moving.  
  
"I'm fine. There's no need to worry."  
  
"Are you sure?" Marinette stepped right back into Kagami's personal space. "You almost fell just now."  
  
"I assure you, I'm just fine. I did hurt my ankle a bit—"  
  
"A _bit_? Kagami, I think you did more than just hurt yourself a _bit_."  
  
Marinette turned her eyes to said ankle. Kagami wondered how often Marinette had to look over her own injuries - she wasn't as athletic as Kagami was, of course, but she was abnormally clumsy.  
  
However, Kagami would rather profess her love for Chloe than admit her fondness for her girlfriend's ridiculous two left feet. She had standards, no matter what Marinette (and their friends) would say otherwise.  
  
"Don't worry about me." Marinette looked up with a raised eyebrow. Kagami rolled her eyes - she knew _worrying_ and _Marinette_ went together as well as Kagami herself and fencing did. "Marinette, I promise you, I'm absolutely fine."  
  
Kagami again tested her ankle. A sharp jolt up her leg had her clenching her teeth in order to keep herself from cursing. Any other match, she would have been as fine as she said - but the finals were just a few days away and she would not be labeled second place because of a minor injury.  
  
To tell that truth to Marinette, however, was a thing that was sure to fail. To say it to her _mother_ as well would surely lead to nothing but disappointment and disapproval. With nothing but her will and exceptional pain tolerance keeping her upright, Kagami took a solid step back.  
  
She clasped Marinette's hands in her own, pressing them together. Marinette's eyes did not lose their watery sheen.  
  
"I just twisted my ankle a little, okay? It doesn't hurt, so stop all that worrying."  
  
Blue eyes flicked over her face, as if looking for a sign of a lie. A second later and she deflated, her face no longer so tense. "Worrying's my middle name, you know."  
  
Kagami chuckled and squeezed her hands, glad to see the return of her smile. "Ah, yes. How foolish of me to forget."  
  
Marinette giggled. She freed her hands, only to slide her arms around Kagami's waist. Kagami wrapped her own around Marinette's shoulders. Away from each other, they frowned—Marinette unsure of what to do with a lie to her face and Kagami ever more determined to continue on.  
  
In spite of her injury, which seemed to grab her attention more and more throughout the next week, Kagami practiced. She iced her ankle as she stretched her wrists. She made sure to wrap it before her lunges, her footwork too important to ignore.  
  
With every twinge of pain, Kagami downed any pain reliever she could find. If it made her tired, she knocked back an energy drink—the more sugar, the better. Whenever her mother came to watch her practice, Kagami would bite down a scream, swallow the agony, and pretend she didn't just want to drop where she stood. She was lucky that her mother only stayed for a handful of minutes, her hands too busy correcting Kagami's form to notice her injury.  
  
Marinette would check in on her as well and those were the times that sunk Kagami's stomach the most. Her girlfriend was never subtle (there had been a large bet years ago on when Marinette would finally confess her glaringly blatant crush to Adrian - only, to the surprise of everyone, including Kagami, to come to her with flowers and a blush bright enough to glow), so her concern was almost insultingly obvious.  
  
Every time Marinette popped into her practices, she gently steered Kagami from the open floor to any open chair. She made sure Kagami propped up both of her feet and rotated her wrists and ankles - she always came with a bottle of water and something to snack on. Marinette made sure to chatter on about quite literally anything besides Kagami's upcoming match; it was something both sweet and annoying, which only seemed to endear Marinette to her even more.  
  
Both her mother and Marinette passed each other more often than not, but when they were both hovering over her. _Well_...  
  
Kagami tilted her head back. '_Whoever decided to give mother a sense of humor that only came out around Marinette was sick._'  
  
In the corner of her eye, Kagami could see Marinette's flailing hands. Whatever she was gesturing so hard about got a firm nod and pat on the shoulder in return. Kagami closed her eyes and sighed.  
  
It wasn't as if she disliked how well her girlfriend and mother got along - she was quite happy that her mother approved of their relationship in the first place - but their combined concern/worry/_whatever-it-was_ could only go so far.  
  
'_I love them both, but if either of them keep me from moving one more time, I'll run myself through with my own foil._'  
  
Too busy planning on how she was going to practice without either of them noticing her growing injury, Kagami didn't realize that both her mother and her girlfriend were already quite aware that something was wrong.   
  
In the corner of the gym, Marinette tried to keep a smile on her face just in case Kagami decided to look over, but no matter how brightly she grinned, she couldn't get the worry out of her voice. "I _know_ something happened during her last competition, but she won't say anything about it. Maybe I'm worried over nothing, but I swear that she's hiding just how bad her ankle is."  
  
"Well, I've never known my daughter to lie about something as serious as an injury, but I will make sure to keep an eye on her. While I don't know her as a liar, Kagami is very stubborn about some things and fencing is certainly in that category." Tomoe sighed. "I must admit, I certainly didn't help in that regard when raising her, but I had hoped that she would consider being more open to me about such matters now that she is older. Nevertheless, if any injury she does have becomes worse, I will have her on bed rest immediately."  
  
"Oh, thank you! It makes me feel a lot better knowing that it's not just me looking out for her," Marinette said. She twirled her hair through her fingers before she wrapped a portion around her index and tugged. She frowned. "I know I can get a bit much, but I _also _know that her injury is worse than what she wants us to believe."  
  
Marinette's rant was stopped by the firm touch of two hands on her shoulders. She looked up and Kagami's mother gave her a small smile. "I am glad to see your concern for Kagami, but do try to not let it overwhelm you. She is a strong young woman - if she thinks she can handle it, perhaps we should just wait and see what happens, hm?"  
  
Though most of Marinette's fears were laid to rest, she couldn't help the small voice in her that whispered, '_What if she keeps going? She's not strong enough to fight back if we stopped her. It's our job to protect her, isn't it?_  
  
'_If she gets hurt any more, won't it be our fault?_'

* * *

When the match finally came, Kagami was more tensed than ready. Her ankle was carefully wrapped beneath her fencing uniform, but even her best effort was useless - every step she took shot a bright burst of pain up her leg. The nerves from her foot to her hip were lit up, and she took to biting her tongue to keep in her whimpers.  
  
Kagami pushed through the pain as best she could, her face a near perfect mask of cool indifference. Everything seemed hazy and small, her mind solely focused on keeping her gait steady and even.  
  
Her body made sure to repeat any pleasantries. She shook hands, bowed politely, and even exchanged a few words with her competitor - but Kagami's mind was far away.  
  
_Breathe in, breath out. Mind your ankle, mind your feet, mind your_—  
  
A swipe for her side started the battle and Kagami stopped thinking. She narrowed her eyes and plunged headfirst into sharp focus.  
  
'_I got this far and I will not let my own body give up on me. I will not!_'  
  
The fight carried on - parry after lunge after stab after block. Her thighs shook with the strain, her arms begging for a rest, but Kagami was the master over them.  
  
If her legs would not move, then gravity would move them for her. If her arms would not carry through, then she threw her weight into every movement she could. She had not worked through the pain of her injury for her to lose now. Not when Marinette cheered for her in the stands, her support always so surprisingly vicious.  
  
Not when her mother sat among the crowd, eyes unseeing but watching all the same.  
  
_Feet planted (ignore the hurt), hands steady (don't tremble), chin up (blink away the sweat). _  
  
_Don't lose focus._  
  
It was only a few minutes, fights never lasted long, but to Kagami it lasted hours. Days. She didn't feel _fast_ enough, not with her foot splitting at the seams. She had already bitten too deeply into her tongue and ached to spit out the blood - ached to do _anything_ about the pain that thrummed like a bass note all throughout her body.  
  
She lunged and leaned and kept stepping, even when her foot threatened to get out from under her—and then it stopped. The tip of her foil was pressed almost gently into the heart of her opponent. Kagami, for the life of her, couldn't remember what they looked like; she couldn't remember their name or voice.  
  
But she had won.  
  
Kagami heaved a sigh of relief, her breath stuttering in the wake of her victory. She swallowed down the blood and relaxed. She went through the pleasantries once again, heard _congratulations_ over and over until it was a broken record in her head, and the pain had finally relaxed into something almost nice. It was telling her that she had earned her win, even with a literal handicap. It, this sparkling ache, told her that she could finally rest.  
  
Kagami nearly laughed. She pivoted on her left foot, eager to celebrate with Marinette and even more eager to just see her in the crowd. She pushed her mask up, smile small but genuine, when her eyes landed on her girlfriend. She reached out to offer up her hand, to beckon her forward to meet her—  
  
And her foot went out from beneath her.  
  
Kagami hit the ground hard, the wind knocked right out of her lungs. Black dots scuttered across the ceiling, the overhead lights blaring and all-consuming. She couldn't get up, couldn't even find the will to struggle for it. She thought she heard her name among the loud, swarming mass of people, but she wasn't too sure.  
  
Then her vision was filled with black and pink and two bright blue eyes and Kagami knew exactly who had shouted her name.  
  
"Kagami, oh my _god_." Marinette reached out, her hands cupped around Kagami's face. "You're going to be just fine, alright?"  
  
Marinette's mouth continued to move, but Kagami couldn't make out the sounds. All she could do was blink. Marinette's eyes narrowed and her hands moved to her shoulders where she gave Kagami a firm shake. Kagami took a deep breath and tried to get the world back in focus, but everything remained as just as buzz in her ears.  
  
Kagami tried to focus one last time, her head thumping against the mats, when she finally saw her mother. She was a still rock that did not break among the chaos her fall had caused. A chill flashed down her spine, her skin heating in humiliation - in mortification - in _shame_.  
  
She was so far away. Kagami knew that any expression she made would be lost in that space. She knew that what she could see was only in her mind.  
  
But she saw her mother frown and then she saw nothing more.

* * *

Kagami finally came to in a doctor's office. She was laying down, a blanket wrapped around her, with Marinette's hand threaded through her own. A man stood in front of her, but he was instead looking at her mother.  
  
'_Mother!'_ Kagami tensed. Marinette shifted closer to her, her hand tightening around Kagami's. It did nothing to stop the tidal wave rising in her throat, but the warm was soothing nonetheless.  
  
The man, a doctor judging by the white coat he wore, was talking. Kagami squinted at him. His mouth was moving but there were no words, just noise—  
  
"I hope I've managed to stress the importance of what Miss Tsurugi could have done to her ankle."  
  
"My what?"  
  
Everyone's head snapped to her. Kagami tried to shy away, but Marinette was too quick and had her arms around her shoulders in a second. "Are you okay? I told you not to hurt yourself!"  
  
"I'm sorry - I'm fine, I promise! I, uh, I don't remember what happened."  
  
The doctor sighed. "At first we thought you went into shock, but you just passed out. Really, with how exhausted you seemed to be with your injury, not adding the effort it no doubt took keeping it a secret from others," the doctor shot her a familiar disapproving look, "it wasn't that surprising. Your sudden fall certainly didn't help."  
  
Kagami blinked. "Oh," she said.  
  
That got her a dry smile. "Oh, indeed."  
  
She shifted as much as she could in Marinette's hold, her earlier shame hovering about her shoulders, ready to drop right onto her. She didn't look up again as the doctor continued.  
  
"Now, as I was explaining to your mother, we were able to x-ray you while you were asleep. You weren't in any danger of slipping into actual shock, so letting you rest was likely the best thing for you. However, that is the least of your injuries."  
  
The doctor reached over and grabbed a clipboard before handing it to her. Kagami took it with just a glance in his direction. Marinette leaned back to let her sit up and they both looked at the x-ray.  
  
"That line in your foot? A hairline fracture. You should have came in right away, but since that didn't happen you managed to create a decent amount of trauma in your right foot. If you had practiced on it any more than you had, you could have had a far more serious break."  
  
Kagami's throat went dry. She couldn't take her eyes off of the evidence of her foolishness, but she also couldn't help but feel proud. She had managed to gauge just the right amount of work she could do to still compete and her foot would still heal easily. She knew the doctor wouldn't be too impressed with her, but she knew she would have done it again if she had to.  
  
"Do not think that I am not well aware of what is going through your mind, Kagami."  
  
Her head snapped up to her mother. Kagami swallowed. "I—"  
  
"Don't forget that I was your age too, you know. I know exactly what it feels like to want to succeed no matter what." Tomoe stood even straighter, somehow. "But I also knew when to stop and you, my daughter, seem to lack that wisdom."  
  
Kagami flinched back. "I'm sorry, mother. I know you're disappointed."  
  
"Disappointed?" Tomoe said the word as if she had never heard it before. "Kagami, I am not _disappointed_ in you. I am _concerned_ for you."  
  
Silence. "Huh?"  
  
Her mother sighed. "I know that I am strict with you, but surely you must have realized that playing any sport injured is the easiest way to not being able to play at all? I expect you to win, yes, but not at the cost of your own health."  
  
Kagami didn't know what to think, let alone say. All her life her mother had pushed her to always go beyond her limits to be the best at fencing, just like she was at Kagami's age. Now, though, here she was, implying that she would rather Kagami lose than to just push through.  
  
If she thought about it for more than two seconds, it made sense. Kagami could feel a blush spread across her cheeks.  
  
"Very well stated, Mrs. Tsurugi," the doctor said. "Now then, let's get you all patched up so you can all go home, shall we?"  
  
The rest of the hospital visit was a blur. They all went through her injury again (the pointed look in Kagami's direction when they talked about how lucky she was only made her blush even more) and what she would need for a clean healing process.  
  
Finding out that she would need a cast and crutches for a month almost got a groan, but she managed to bite it down just in time. Marinette had shouldered her way into Kagami's arm at that point, whispering in her ear that crutches were easy to get used to - that, even after her serious blunder, she would be just fine.  
  
Kagami wouldn't ever admit it, but she almost cried.  
  
Marinette stayed to hold Kagami's hand when she got her cast fitted and even went up to no less than three nurses to ask for a marker to sign it with. She took entirely too long to make an unnecessarily detailed flower arrangement in black ink before signing her name with a flourish beneath it.  
  
It really didn't matter what Kagami thought about it anyway. All Marinette needed to do was flash a broad grin and two thumbs ups and Kagami had felt her mood lift. Marinette was extremely dorky, but she was all hers.  
  
The final test of faith was when Kagami was finally ready to go, red cast on her foot and crutches in hand. Marinette made sure to position her arms the least painful way possible before she stepped back and let Kagami get a feel for them on her own.  
  
She hobbled forward a couple of steps before she looked back at her girlfriend. "It has been exactly two seconds and I already hate them."  
  
Marinette laughed, not a single shred of sympathy to be found. "If they were enjoyable, they wouldn't be a deterrent for practicing on a fractured ankle."  
  
Kagami grimaced back. "Fair enough."  
  
Marinette's smile only got bigger. She stepped right up to Kagami and wrapped her arms around her waist before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Snuggled right into her shoulder, Marinette said, "Don't worry, I'm right here."  
  
Something sweet bloomed in Kagami's chest. She leaned down to press her forehead against Marinette's.  
  
She smiled right back. "I know."


End file.
